Tobias and I decide to take the kids to the cafeteria for lunch after we pick them up from daycare. Tyler was so excited to see us get there even earlier than expected. I talked to Christina on our way home from the fence about what Olivia did and asked her advice. She told me to keep my eyes on her and trust Tobias unless he gives me a reason to doubt him. I had to grin at her. That was the exact same advice I gave to her about Will on multiple occasions. Uriah overheard our conversation and was aghast at what she did. He, too, gave his two cents worth, saying that she needs to go sooner than later, that she isn't the type of Dauntless member we want. He's absolutely right. My biggest concern is that she's up to something and by the time we figure out what it is, all hell will have already broken out.
"When we go to pool?" Tyler asks when we finish our lunch of burgers, fries, garden salad, and small slivers of cake. He's so excited that he's nearly bouncing off the walls. He is bouncing in his seat.
"Soon," Tobias says. "We have to wait for a little while after we eat before we can get in the water."
"Otay," he says.
"Anything exciting happen at the fence?" Zeke asks. My mind automatically goes to Olivia and her antics and I scowl menacingly. I may not know what she's planning but her endgame is my husband. That will happen over my dead body.
"No, just the usual," Uriah says. "Oh, I thought Callen was going to throw Alec from the train. That was exciting."
"I'd pay to see that," Zeke mutters. I understand their grudge. It's perfectly natural. I would feel the same way if someone attacked my mom but Alec's already been punished for his crime. It's time we all accept it and move on.
"I told them I'd let them beat the snot out of each other but it had to be in the training room on the mat," Tobias says.
"If that were to happen, Alec wouldn't have the slightest idea why they were fighting," I say. Zeke and Uriah look at me disbelievingly. "I'll tell you two like I told Callen, the Alec Parrish who participated in the attack on your mother died alongside all the others. He has no memory of what happened. I know what he did was wrong, and I don't expect you two to get over it anytime soon but maybe you should try forgiving him."
"Forgive the person who almost took our mother away from us?" Uriah scoffs. "I don't think so."
"It may be him in body but it's not him in spirit," I say.
"He really is a nice kid," Tobias says. "That being said, we're not telling you to forgive and forget but maybe give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves to be untrustworthy." That's good advice.
"We'll try," Zeke says but Uriah just mumbles incoherently under his breath. Christina falls into the seat next to me looking upset. I wonder where she's been.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Will!" she says. "He's driving me crazy. I caught him texting someone, and when I asked who it was, he changed the subject. I tried to get into his phone while he was in the bathroom, and it was locked. He never locks his phone, Tris. He's cheating. I just know it." Not this again. I have to admit, his behavior looks bad but I'm not going to tell her that. There has to be a rational explanation for what he's doing.
"Talk. To. Him," I say. She has to be getting tired of me telling her this over and over. "Don't jump to conclusions. I know from experience that doing so will only get you into trouble."
"I wanted to talk to him but he said he was busy and left," she says. "I think we're done but he hasn't figured out a way to tell me yet."
"Come to the pool with us," I say, wanting to distract her for a while. "Have your nanny bring Liam down, and we'll make an afternoon of it."
"I don't want to intrude on your family day," she murmurs. "You aren't going to have many the next two months."
"You're family," Tobias says, surprising us both. I had no idea he was listening to our conversation. "Join us."
"Okay," she finally says. She drags her phone out of her pocket and dials her nanny, Fiona.
"We're going to take Tyler and Tessa to the pool now," I say. "We'll meet you there."
"Okay. I shouldn't be long," she says. "Thanks for inviting us along. If I had to sit at home and stew, I'd probably kick him out the minute I see him without listening to an explanation." After hugging her goodbye, Tobias and I take the kids to the hidden hallway that leads to the massive indoor pool room, which is actually located under the Pit. It's one of my favorite places in Dauntless but unfortunately we don't get to spend enough time here. Before we take the steps down into the sizable pool area, Tobias carries Tyler into the men's changing room, and I take Tessa into the woman's. She sits in her carrier staring up at me while I change into my black crossover halter neckline tankini with underbelly maternity bikini bottoms, matching underbelly-fit sarong, and black flip flops with a crystal flower design.
"Are you ready to get changed, little one?" I ask as I take her out of her carrier. She smiles a wide toothless grin that melts my heart, and I can't resist giving her a few kisses, which she coos at. "Mommy loves you, Tessa Beatrice." I take her cute bubble romper, headband, and diaper off then change her into the adorable white bikini top with a colorful leopard print design and matching swim diaper then put the large fuchsia flower headband that came with the suit on her head. She's at the height of fashion in her little swimsuit. I lock all our clothes in an available locker and put the padlock key in the diaper bag for safe keeping. I pick up Tessa, sling the diaper bag over my other shoulder, and grab ahold of her empty carrier and walk out into the hallway. I literally bump into Tobias and Tyler as they come out of the locker room, and we all laugh. "My-my! Don't my boys look handsome today?" They're wearing matching black swim trunks with yellow, gray, and white sea creatures all over them, and Tyler has on his favorite yellow shoes that look like little cartoon insects while Tobias has on a pair of generic-looking black flip flops.
"I think my girls look particularly stunning. Of course, they always do," Tobias says, his eyes leisurely running up and down my body. "Don't you agree, Tyler?"
"You pwetty, Mommy," he says, eyes shining with sincerity and love. "Tess cute, too."
"We thank you," I say with a coquettish grin.
"Here let me take this," Tobias says as he takes the carrier and diaper bag from me. I reach out and grasp Tyler's hand, and we slowly make our way down into the depths of this unexpected oasis. The room is cave-like and twice as tall as it is wide. The walls are magnificent. The higher sections are the typical dark-colored stone our home is etched from, and the lower walls have decorative stack stone the same color lining every available surface including the numerous pillars that flank the pool. There is plenty of artificial lighting on the pillars and walls and special moisture-resistant lighting recessed directly into the stone of the ceiling, casting a soft glow onto the focal point of the room – the aquamarine-tiled pool, which has large curved steps on each side for easy entrance and exit. There are several intimate alcoves of varying sizes built into the walls surrounding the pool. Some hold two lounge chairs while others hold as many as eight. One alcove houses the large round in-ground hot tub that fits 12 people. There are several wooden benches scattered throughout the room and a huge flat screen TV on the far wall. Unfortunately, Tobias and I have never taken advantage of this amenity Dauntless has to offer but we definitely will in the future. Maybe it should go on my list.
We head to the furthest alcove on the far wall to the separate play area where the large kiddie pool is complete with a whale fountain that sprays water 20 feet or so into the air, a waterslide flanked by fun-loving teddy bears wanting to slide with you, a large flower rain shower that kids and adults both can dance through, and little green turtle that the kids can ride on. We put our stuff down at one of the dozen or so tables in the room, and Tyler starts jumping up and down excitedly. By some miracle, we have the entire place to ourselves today.
"Please don't jump, Tyler," Tobias says. "The floor could be wet, and you might hurt yourself." He stops jumping and looks carefully at the floor, probably looking for wet spots. I step out of my shoes and shift Tessa into my other arm. I look back at Tyler who's now on his hands and knees, and I start laughing but he pays me no attention.
"Whatcha doing, buddy?" I ask. He looks up at me, perplexed.
"Lookin' for wet," he says.
"Daddy was telling you to quit jumping up and down because the floor might be wet. I don't think it is right now but you shouldn't be jumping anyway. Remember the floor will be wet when we get out of the pool. Did you go potty?" Both he and Tobias look at me bashfully. "You need to go before you get in the pool, okay? You can come with me because I have to go, too."
"Okay," he says. I hand Tessa to her father, and he gives me a quick peck on my lips.
"Don't take Tess into pool," Tyler whines. Uh-oh, I hope he's not going to be cranky this afternoon. We go into the family bathroom around the corner and lock the door. He uses the child-sized toilet while I use the regular-sized one right next to him. I notice him staring at my belly with a frown.
"Is something wrong?" I ask.
"How baby get in you tummy?" Oh, holy hell! Think fast, Tris. I never asked this question as a child because I'm the youngest so I have no personal reference as to what the proper response is for a 2 year old. Too much information could confuse and scare him.
"Mommy and Daddy's love put her in there," I say. He's still staring, brows furrowed.
"How come you and Daddy didn't put me in you tummy?" he asks.
"Well, I didn't know your daddy when you and Tessa were conceived," I say, adding his sister preemptively.
"Okay," he says with a brilliant smile. Phew! Crisis averted. We each wash our hands when we finish then head back to Tobias and Tessa, who have been joined by Christina and Liam who look cute in their blue and black kaleidoscope snake print tankini and dark blue swim diaper covered in lighter shades of blue whales.
"Chwissy, how Liam get out you tummy?" Tyler asks. Oh, Tyler! She stands open-mouthed staring down at my son, silenced by his curiosity. I meet Tobias' eyes, and he too looks stunned.
"Tyler, buddy, when Liam was ready to come out, Christina went to the hospital, and the doctor helped take him out. It will be the same for me when your sister is ready to come out but that won't be for a while," I say hoping this line of questioning ceases soon. He looks from me to Christina and back again curiously. Just as I think we're going to get another question, he turns to Tobias.
"Can I swim now?" he asks. Oh, thank God!
"Sure, buddy," Tobias says. He asks about Tyler's inquisitiveness while handing me Tessa, and I quickly repeat our bathroom conversation. I can tell he's happy I got that question and not him. "Please hold my hand tight." I watch them walk into the pool, which starts flat and goes to a depth of 18 inches. The first thing he does is go down the slide, squealing in delight the entire way down, landing with a big splash at the bottom.
"I'm sorry about Tyler's question," I say, turning my attention to Christina. "He got me in the bathroom right before you got here."
"What did he ask you?" she asks.
"How the baby got in my tummy," I say. She grimaces. "I didn't know what to say so I told him Mommy and Daddy's love put her there. I'm not sure where that idea came from."
"It's a good answer. I'll have to tuck it away for the future," she says. "You know, I look forward to a lot but, honestly, I don't look forward to questions like that."
"I don't blame you. Unfortunately, I know they're just beginning. Hey, let's forget about everything this afternoon and just have fun with the kids," I say. "It's been a long, hectic, stressful week. We need to unwind."
"That it has," she says. Christina and I take the babies to the far end of the pool and sit in the shallow water. I submerge Tessa chest deep time and again, and she splashes a couple times. She has such a bright smile on her face. She absolutely loves the water. Christina lies Liam on her legs and lowers him so that he is in an inch or so of water. At first he looks startled but then he gives her a sunny smile.
"He smiled!" I say.
"Yeah," she says, wearing a huge one of her own. "They're kind of rare but when they happen, they make everything so much better. He holds his head up really well, too, and looks around. He's so strong. Aren't you, big guy?"
"So how are the Dauntless-born coming along?" I ask, trying to get her mind off whatever Will is up to.
"It's better now that Murphy is with you guys," she says. "She still keeps them awake at night though."
"Her training is progressing," I say. "Dr. Shaw won't give us details of her sessions but she tells us that they're on the right track." I notice Tessa's drooping eyes so I put her up against my shoulder and rub circles on her back.
"I still feel bad that she reacted the way she did to me," she says. "I was just trying to make a point. I didn't know she was going to freak out."
"It's not your fault," I say. "I would have said the same thing to her, as a matter of fact, I've told her to get her head out of the clouds a few times since. I think her friendship with Kevin has helped. He's going through a similar situation. His girlfriend broke up with him right before Choosing Day. She knew he was going to choose Dauntless and she wants to stay in their original faction when she chooses next year. I hope he doesn't move on and then have her show up. That would be awkward."
"And we have enough awkward," she says and we laugh. We sit in the cool water talking about how all the initiates are doing. I tell her all about the strengths and weaknesses of each misfit, except for Olivia, I'm still too pissed to talk about her. She tells me in detail how each Dauntless-born is handling the initiation process while I watch Tobias follow Tyler around.
"Speaking of Callen, what did you say to him on the train?" she asks after she finishes telling me everything about Avery, Afton, Declan, and Callen.
"I just told him the truth, that Alec isn't a monster," I say. "I basically said the same thing to Uriah and Zeke but they didn't take it too well. I understand their reluctance to forgive him but everyone needs to remember he's already been punished for his crime."
"I agree," she says.
"Mommy, come play with me," Tyler calls from under the flower rain shower. He has a look of expectation on his face, and I just can't resist.
"Okay," I say. "Just a minute." I get out of the pool and put Tessa in her carrier by the table so she can nap in peace.
"Do you want to go down the slide with me?" I ask Tyler. He nods enthusiastically, and for the next half hour straight, we climb up the ladder then go down the slide.
"Tyler, why don't you let Mommy rest," Tobias says, recognizing my fatigue. "I'll go down the side with you."
"Otay!" he squeals. I join Christina who is nursing Liam at the table and check on Tessa. She's still fast asleep but she looks hot in her carrier so I pick her up and put her against my shoulder. I watch her peaceful little face for a minute, idly wondering what she dreams about.
"Is everything okay?" I ask Christina, noticing she keeps nervously checking her phone.
"I thought for sure he would have called but there's nothing," she says.
"Did you see him before you came down here?" I ask.
"I saw him go into the boutique," she says, sounding so sad. "Alicia is the only one on duty today. Why would he be going in there?" I remember Alicia. She works in the salon also. I can't see Will having an affair with her. She's quite a bit older than we are.
"Maybe he's buying something, Christina," I say. She chokes out a laugh.
"He's been in the boutique twice in the last year," she says. "I buy all his clothes. I'm so tired of this."
"Can I be frank?" She nods. "From what you've told me today, Will is acting strangely and it sounds bad but he is not going to do anything to jeopardize his life with you and Liam. I've told you several times to talk to him and it seems you're too scared to do it. You are a strong, independent, determined, resilient woman in all aspects of your life except when dealing with your feelings for Will then you're timid, uncertain. Where does your self-confidence go?" She looks at me somewhat embarrassed but doesn't say a word. "He loves you, Christina. You love him. You know that. You shouldn't doubt him.
"I used to wonder what Four saw in me. I just couldn't figure it out. I didn't think I was good enough for someone as perfect and wonderful as he is. He would get so angry with me for not thinking very highly of myself. So there's never a day that goes by that he doesn't tell me I'm beautiful and make me feel desired and loved. I think from his constant praise and compliments I finally realize that he's not lying to me."
"It's about time you believe me," Tobias says, his brilliant just-for-me-smile momentarily on his face.
"Ick," Christina mutters, a look of mock disgust on her face. "You two are so in love it's sickening."
"That we are," Tobias says. "That we are."
"I wish Will would tell me how much he loves me more often," she says. "I guess I'm not as lucky as you are." Her phone rings interrupting her sulk, and she lets it go to voicemail.
"Why would you do that?" I scold. "You're never going to get anywhere if you play games with him." She sighs. I hear my phone ringing but I can't get to it quickly enough to pick it up. Great, he's going to think I'm upset and taking her side. Finally Tobias' phone rings, and I answer it.
"Hey, Will," I say.
"I'm glad you answered, Tris. Is Christina with you? I'm trying to get ahold of her but she didn't answer."
"Yeah," I say. "She's right here with your beautiful son. I saw him smile today. He's quite the handsome fellow."
"Awe, I'm sorry I missed that," he says, wistful longing in his voice. "Will she talk to me?" He obviously knows she's upset with him.
"Of course, she will," I say. I hold out the phone to her and she glowers at me but I ignore her. I get up to give her some privacy and go stand with Tobias who is carefully watching Tyler who is still using the slide. I don't know where his energy comes from.
"It's about time for super," Tobias announces to the room. Tyler looks pouty but doesn't say anything. I for one am all for food right about now; I'm starving. "Come on, Tyler. Let's dry off for a while then we'll get dressed." We all get out of the water and sit at the table. Christina's off the phone, staring at the wall in front of her.
"Is everything okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, he wants to meet for supper in half-an-hour," she says.
"Good," I say. Maybe she'll take the time to finally talk to him about what's bothering her and stop jumping to conclusions. "Are you going to the cafeteria?"
"Mm-hmm," she says. She puts Liam to her shoulder to burp, deep in thought.
"Don't overthink it, Christina," I say.
"I know you're right," she says. "Will I see you at supper?"
"Yes," Tobias says. "We haven't made any other plans."
"Let's get ready and go," I say. We all head upstairs to the dressing rooms and change out of our wet swimsuits. Tessa wakes up when I'm putting her bubble romper back on and is less than pleased that I woke her up. She starts crying, which in turn wakes Liam up. Oh, is this what it's going to be like with two babies, one crying waking the other one up? "Little one, you sure have a set of lungs on you. What's wrong? I changed your diaper. You're not hungry yet. Are you just mad at Mommy?" We walk out into the hallway to meet Tobias and Tyler.
"Is she hungry? That kind of sounds like her hungry cry," Tobias says.
"No. Maybe she'll calm down on the walk to the cafeteria," I say. "I accidentally woke her up. She's mad at me."
"Our poor girl," Tobias says. "Here let me take her." He takes her out of my arms but she keeps crying all the way to the cafeteria. I sit down at our empty table and Tobias hands me Tessa then takes Tyler to get some macaroni and cheese.
"What are you going to get tonight?" I ask Christina. "I'm starving but nothing sounds good. I hate days like this." I watch as Tobias and Tyler walk back to the table. At the same time Tobias' expression suddenly changes, a bouquet of ivory roses comes down in front of Christina. We both look behind us to find Will wearing a stylish black suit, black vest, and black tie holding the beautiful bouquet.
"Will! What are you doing?" Christina whispers, stunned by what she's seeing.
"Do you like the roses?" he asks, his voice hopeful, still holding the bouquet in front of her.
"Of course, I do," she shyly says, taking them from him with trembling hands. "They're lovely, Will." She puts them under her nose and deeply inhales the soft fragrance.
"I'm glad you like them," he says. "When I saw them, I thought of you. Of course, you are definitely more beautiful."
"Why are you wearing a suit?" she asks, bemused. He holds his hand out to her, and she takes it. He helps her and Liam get up from the bench and kisses each of them tenderly then he sinks to one knee in front of her. Was she just complaining earlier that he wasn't romantic enough?
"Christina Louise Misner, I love you very much. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. Without you, I wouldn't have that precious little boy you're holding in your arms. I know I don't always show you and I'm not very quick to say it but I love you with all my heart and soul. I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you at the Choosing Ceremony, and I'll love you and only you every day for the rest of my life. I'm sorry if I ever made you doubt me. Christy, baby, will you please marry me?"
"I already said yes, Will," she says, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
"I know," he says, a hopeful smile on his face. "What I'm asking is if you'll marry me right now … tonight."